Hemangiosarcoma

Medical Specialty:

What is Hemangiosarcoma?

Hemangiosarcoma is a highly malignant cancerous tumor that originates from blood vessels often in the spleen or heart although may occur in any blood vessels in the body. The cancer commonly spreads to other organs including liver, lungs, heart, brain, spinal cord, skin, and muscles.

Hemangiosarcomas are highly metastatic tumors, which means they spread rapidly thru the body. With surgery alone, median survival times range from weeks to a few months. When surgery is followed by chemotherapy, the median survival time can be extended to six months.

A splenic tumor is a mass or lump within the spleen. See this article for additional information on tumors of the spleen (/articles/splenic-tumors). Overall, two-thirds of all splenic masses are malignant, and of these, two-thirds are hemangiosarcoma. If your pet has a splenic mass and internal bleeding, there is a 76% risk of having a malignant splenic tumor and 70% risk of having hemangiosarcoma.

Whenever your pet is showing signs of a health issue, your first step is to contact your primary care veterinarian. If it is indicated that your pet may suffer from hemangiosarcoma or another serious condition, a veterinary specialist is available at an ExpertVet certified hospital.